As the eponymous King Kong, you traverse a lush and detailed environment full of terrifying monsters, beasts, and abominations, all intent on killing you. Though the graphics take full advantage of the creation engine, providing a crisp, clear visual experience that borders on the surreal, it is the story where Skull Island: Rise of Kong (or 'SIRoK,' as the fans call it) truly shines. Though Kong initially destroys the giant crabs, sandworms, kaiju-sized dinosaurs, and evil dragons he comes across, he eventually begins to tire of the constant struggle. This is represented by cut scenes depicting Kong sighing heavily after slaughtering his rivals, and sleeping in after staying up all night watching Adult Swim re-runs. Eventually he goes back to smoking despite promising his girlfriend he would only ever vape. Following the defeat of Glargoblox, an enormous frog that shits acid, Kong relapses on crack behind a Dollar General and is beaten unconscious by a group of malignant children. When he wakes, he decides to rob the Dollar General in order to gain more money for his addiction; the player must carefully navigate the aisles before ambushing the cashier and demanding all the money. Through a brilliant and cinematic series of quicktime events, Kong is able to steal the money, but, no matter what, ends up gunning down the hapless employee in cold blood. He then gets into a fight with another crack-addicted giant monkey in the parking lot.
It's this kind of bold, unflinching storytelling that truly sets Skull Island: Rise of Kong apart from every other game this year. Don't waste your time with Starfield, or the Dead Space remake, or Baldur's Gate. Play Skull Island: Rise of Kong, for the most genuine experience of being a depressed drug addicted gorilla ever produced by a major game company.